Mailbag: “More Carpenter!”

March 26, 2008

Dear Michael,

i’m probably not qualified to write with a complaint/suggestion because i am no expert at organ and listen to way more radiohead than classical! but anyway, i just have to ask, how can you have a show called “Spirit of Youth” and leave out Cameron carpenter!? like i said, i don’t follow organ, but i started listening to PD online after i heard it from a friend at school here (Georgetown) who is an organ nerd. i went to a show by one of the guys in Spirit of Youth when they played in DC. it was a DRAG. there was nobody under 50 there, they had a really weak house, and it just was not cool. on the other hand i’ve never been to a show by Cameron, but even watching his videos my friends are super turned on. running the spectrum from my math friends to my cheerleader friends. so he’s the one to watch. you should play more of his music!!!!

It’s kind of like the situation with the Bach D-minor Toccata that everyone loves…should it appear on every program, too?
Yes, without question, Cameron is an incredible talent. And you can access much of his music via his own online sources (and the Trinity Church website).
I’ll admit that some organists may seem to be a DRAG, but the draggyness may in part come from the way one listens. Horsepower is not the unique means of getting from point “A” to point “B”. Sometimes a leisurly stroll is even finer.
But keep listening… :-)